Monticello explodes for big points in short stretch

DES MOINES - The loudspeaker blared, carrying a beloved, capitalized name to the ears of discus thrower Devonte Merrill.

“Monticello,” the announcer bellowed from the nearby Drake Stadium track.

Monticello, Merrill's school, had just won Friday's Class 2A boys' distance medley, prefacing a flex and shout from victorious anchor Ben Ahlrichs.

“My teammate,” Merrill said.

Added motivation, he thought.

Two throws later, Merrill helped cap a prolific points burst Ahlrichs and his relay partners Michael Melcher, Brian Turnis and Dallas Lumpa ignited with a 10-point triumph in a school-record 3:32.32.

Merrill then won the discus, heaving it 165-11 to add another 10 spot to the Panthers' dominant points lead.

His teammate, Isaac Holtz, chipped in eight points - taking second in the discus with a throw of 164-6.

“Team points,” Holtz said.

In a roughly 10-minute span, Monticello doubled its points total to 56 - 33 better than second-place KP-WC.

The rapid two-golds, one-silver strike virtually sewed up the Panthers' first team title since 2007.

“It's been a pretty happy Monticello track team,” Merrill said, smiling.

More like ecstatic.

“Once I came down (the front stretch) and looked at the clock and I saw it was at 3:29, I knew we had it,” said Ahlrichs, who also helped win Thursday's 3,200 relay crown. “I wasn't going to quit until we crossed that finish line. I'm just so full of emotions.”

That's entirely understandable.

Friday didn't start off as planned for the Panthers, but ended with a divine flourish.

Defending high jump champion Cody Jamison struggled and finished outside the finals.

Turnis, who entered with the top time in 2A in the 400 hurdles, stumbled halfway through the event and finished 16th.

“Bad stuff happens,” Turnis said. “We just have to look past it and look towards the good things that happen. I think we did.”

Indeed.

And what a Saturday it could be, with several prime Panther contenders in the 1,600-meters, 800-meters and 1,600-meter relay set to take the track.

“We feel like we're at a good note right now,” Turnis said. “We just have to keep pushing.”